LL-L: "Pronunciation" LOWLANDS-L, 07.SEP.2000 (07) [E]

[Lowlands-L]

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From: Sandy Fleming [sandy at scotstext.org]
Subject: "Pronunciation"

> From: john feather [johnfeather at sceptic1.freeserve.co.uk]
> Subject: Pronunciation
>
> Ron wrote:
>
>> in the middle of the last century, ....  You need only watch British
TV
>> sitcoms, even fairly new ones, that feature supposed Germans or
refer to
>> Germans, goose-stepping all over the place, grimacing while shouting
>> ridiculous vowels and gutteral fricatives, something you find
rarely, if

> repeating (yet again)  "'Allo, 'Allo" - a story based in Occupied
> France - but
> that employs stereotypes of all the nations involved, including

Yes, I was rather surprised at Ron's description of Germans in
British sitcoms. It seems that there must be some
misrepresentation of British television abroad, so as an avid
follower of sitcoms (they're entertaining but involve little
time commitment compared to other programmes!) I thought I should
try to dispel some of these misconceptions by describing what
these programmes are like. This list is fairly comprehensive,
I think.

"'Allo 'Allo", the one John refers to, is set in occupied France.
The Gestapo and most senior German officers are portrayed as
committed Nazis, while the more junior German officers are
portrayed as ordinary Germans who are sympathetic to the French
in the town in which they are stationed, but have to obey the
commands of their senior officers. The English (there are no
other Brits as I recall) are portrayed as hideaways and spies
whose linguistic incompetence is a continual danger to the
French citizens who are trying to protect them. It's an
international bestseller, so if the British are the only ones
making this sort of sitcom, we're certainly not the only ones
paying to watch them!

Grimacing: none.
Mispronunciation: always.
Goosestepping: only by marching armies.

"Fawlty Towers" - Basil Fawlty is a hotel owner who is extremely
rude to all his customers except those he perceives as "posh".
He's also paranoid - terrified of his wife, sex, psychaitrists,
everything. In one episode a number of Germans come to stay at
the hotel. While the waitress makes an effort to learn German,
Basil is totally taken aback to find that they speak English.
Unfortunately a severe concussion while hanging a moosehead
sabotages his attempts to behave himself and his obsessive
paranoia takes over.

Grimacing: none.
Pronunciation: realistic (German actors?)
Goosestepping: only by the English.

"Auf Weidersehen Pet" - a group of Geordie builders find work on
a German building site. Realistic, set almost entirely in Germany.

Grimacing: none.
Pronunciation: authentic Geordie, German and English.
Goosestepping: none.

"Dad's Army" - fairly realistic wartime comedy about a British
Home Guard regiment. German paratroops and airmen appear
occasionally, and exchanges on both sides are understandably
hostile.

Grimacing: none.
Pronunciation: older Germans have more trouble with English
than younger. The British can't speak German at all.
Goosestepping: none.

"Monty Python" - experimental sketch show, not always funny, in
which grossly exaggerated stereotypes of all kinds, including
Southern English, Welsh, Scottish & Yorkshire, abound.

Grimacing: probably some but I haven't seen much of the show.
Pronunciation: probably ridiculous.
Goosestepping: as for grimacing.

"Three's Company" - originally a British sitcom, remade in the
US. In the British version, the landlord is notably anti-German,
an attitude of which the other characters disapprove. In one
episode he comes a cropper when a real German turns up.

Grimacing: none.
Pronunciation: the highly educated German student speaks
excellent English.
Goosestepping: none.

That's all I can think of!

Sandy
http://scotstext.org
A dinna dout him, for he says that he
On nae accoont wad ever tell a lee.
                          - C.W.Wade,
                    'The Adventures o McNab'

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